Boxer&#39;s headgear



Jan. 4, 1949. DE W A PORTAL 2,458,025

BOXER S HEADGEAR Filed Feb. 1, 1946 INVENTOR.

ATTOR N EYS.

BYM

Patented Jan. 4, 1949 BOXERS HEADGEAR De Witt A. Portal, Madison, Wis., assignorlto Sport Products, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporationrof Ohio A ipljicatiionFebruary 1, 1946, Serial No. 644,965 I My invention relates to headgear for boxers. It is the object of my'invention toprovide headgear in the form of a shock insulated; helmet wherein, due to the construction, the range of vision and the breathingof one wearingfthedevice, will not be restricted, while at the same time complete protection is aflorded;

It is my object to provide a light durable helmet wherein a spaced guard plate having cut out areas protects the helmet from the shock, of blows from the glove of an adversary without impairing full vision and without a nose covering which makes breathing restricted.

The principle of my proposed construction lies in the discovery of the possibility of using a semirigid plate spaced from a padded helmet with slots provided in the plate which, though they allow freedom of vision and freedom of breathing, and protection for the nose, are not large enough to permit a clenched glove to penetrate the slot. It will be understood that a clenched glove has a certain contour and describes an arc of a certain curvature. By extending a slot in the spaced plate crosswise of the eyes and extending down like the base of a T, the eyes, nose and mouth of the wearer are protected. If the plate is placed sufficiently forward of where the face of a wearer is maintained in the helment, no blows can strike through the slot. Blows falling against the front panel will be dissipated throughout a broad range of the helmet.

Thus boxing can become a sport indulged in more generally by the youth of the country without the likelihood of broken noses, disfigured lips and cauliflower ears. I

In my experience in physical training in a large military camp, boxing as an interesting sport, to be indulged in by many young men, has had a severe handicap in the reasonable likeli-- hood of facial mutilation of the young men who would ordinarily enjoy this athletic activity. The blows of any young men of 19 or 20 are so powerful that beginners cannot safely participate in boxing practice because of the almost certainty of facial mutilation. So broadly it may be stated to be my object to provide headgear which will make boxing no more likely to result in facial injury than football, hockey or any of the other athletic contests in which there is bound to be bodily physical contact.

The foregoing object, and other objects to be described, I accomplish by that certain combination and arrangement of parts of which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment.

Referring to the drawings:

3 Claims. (01. 3-3) 'Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of headgear.

FigurefZ is a front elevation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view as would appear along the lines 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is atop plan view of the construction shown in the otherflgures.

First referring tothe helmet per se, an open topped, open bottomed, .paddedhead covering is provided having straps "I secured at the sides in back with lacing 2' to draw the'helmet tightly about the head. The outersurface 3 is covered with leather of semi stifi type like thatordinarily used on shoe uppers. The inner surface 4 of the helmet is covered with soft leather. Between the two surfaces padding 5 is retained. The padding is arranged in tufted cushioned layers around certain areas to protect the ears, forehead, cheeks and front of the chin. Thus the ear openings are shown at 6, protected by tufted layers of padding. The forehead portion 1 is protected by padding as are the cheek portions 8 and front chin portion 9. Small pads are arranged as shown at H! to protect the mouth from sideways blows.

Underneath the pads for the front of the chin there is an auxiliary pad H and to be sure that the chin is held back, adjustment straps l2 which extend around the neck have snap fasteners. The straps are secured to the sides of the pad I l to draw the chin back. This gives protection against upper cuts and a wearer carelessly extending his chin., With the straps I2 in position, a boxer cannot stick his chin out. Use of'the device also trains the wearer to keep his chin down against his chest.

Across the top opening in the helmet there are canvas straps l3 held together by a lacing l4. By lengthening the lacing the straps I3 will permit the helmet to be drawn further down on the head.

Secured by stitching or lacing I5 extending in a curved are down around the sides of the face portion of the helmet, I have mounted a stiff moulded panel Hi. The panel is spaced in front so that a wearer's nose will not extend to the T-shaped slot H, which is provided. It will be noted that this T-shaped opening or slot allows ample clearance for vision. It also allows no restriction to breathing through the nose or mouth. The slot extends horizontally across the panel being 2 inches or less, wide across from edge to edge. The slot where it extends down vertically to provide clearance for air to the nose is about 1 inches wide.

When a blow is struck against the front panel aeaaoas the force of it is distributed throughout the entire area where the lacing or stitching I5 is placed. t

The front panel may be of stiff leather but preferably it i of leather backed up by molded plastic l8 or light weight metal. The front panel must be'sufiiciently rigid not to yield to a blow from anopnonentsglove and various.materialsv may be used tqfimakei it sufliciently stiff andlre' sistant. Further pads such as thepad 19 maybe secured between the front panel and the outer-n surface of the helmet per se.

Variations in the method of securing the panel or guard plate to the sidesof the helmet will readily occur to those skilledjirrthelartn. Also the shape of the slot in the front of the panel may be varied within wide ranges as long as it does not allow enough of arr opening'fora-por tion of an opponent's glove to penetrate far 2. A boxers headgear comprising a padded helmet having an oval opening in front for the face, and a stiff panel having a T-shaped unobstructed front opening secured to the helmet adjacent the sides of the face opening and spaced forwardly thereof.

3. A boxers headgear comprising a padded helmet. having, arr oval opening; in front, for the face and means forming part of the helmet independently adjustable for holding back the chin r a wearer of the headgear.

DE WITT A. PORTAL.

e p REFERENCES CITED The rfillowlng-references are of record in the v file'ofv this; patent:

20 Name 7 Date 1 .ri aear. .iess l-annn nm Mar. 28, .1916 1ll8812 Goodman. 1.Apr. 1,1924 l tiittss. "Van oxmen,- Feb. 2, 193,2 1,85%118 Rizeretal. .r.. ,Apr. 19,,1932. matrices Hamby Nov. 15, 1932 2, 3fi4,57: I Turner 1 Dec. 5, 19.4.4 "23376345 fiaih er inaanwn May 22,1945

1 PATENTS 3Q Nurnhen I Country Date Nnmber UNITED STATES PATENTS 

